All About Proton Therapy at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

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Transcript of All About Proton Therapy at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

So how does proton therapy work? A machine sends invisible rays of radiation to the sick parts of your body. Yep, the cool thing about the rays is no matter how hard you look you can’t see them, feel them OR touch them! And just like other things you can't see, feel or touch - they don't hurt! Hi! I'm Quinton, and this is my good buddy Harrison! He and some of my other friends are here to tell you what it's like to get proton therapy at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). CHOP is in a big city in Pennsylvania called Philadelphia. Kids from all over the world come to CHOP for proton therapy. Two weeks before treatment begins you’ll come to CHOP to do a few important things. First, you’ll meet your team. Yep, the cool thing about the rays is no matter how hard you look you can’t see them, feel them OR touch them! And just like other things you can't see, feel or touch - they don't hurt! Yep, the cool thing about the rays is no matter how hard you look, you can't see them, feel them OR touch them! And just like other things you can't see, feel or touch - they don't hurt! Before his scan, Harrison got to create some cool stuff to wear for his treatments. The stuff you’ll make reminds your body to stay still – like one big game of freeze tag! Staying still during your treatment is very important. This way they only treat the area that needs it. Next you’ll do something called CT simulation. Harrison said it was like the CT scans he’s had before. If an area in your head is being treated you will have a mask made. This mask is just for you and is made from a piece of plastic. You can see and breathe through the holes in the plastic. The mask is dipped into warm water which makes it stretchy and easier to shape to your face. Some kids say it feels like a warm washcloth on their face. A child life specialist will be next to you letting you know what to expect. If you’re getting another part of your body treated – like your chest or legs – you’ll make an imprint of that part by lying on a big bean bag. You’ll lie in this each day of treatment. The second part of the CT simulation is when they take the pictures of your body. You will be wearing all of the cool stuff you helped to create! On Harrison’s first day of treatment, he and his mom check in at the front desk. The playroom here has video and board games, arts & crafts and other fun stuff to keep you busy if you have to wait. The radiation therapist comes to get him when it’s time for treatment. She helps him get into position by using the mask he made. Some kids come up with a secret signal so they can let the therapist know if they need help during their treatment. Your brothers and sisters may wonder where you go every day. You can bring them along and explain what your treatments are like! When you are finished with your treatments you can celebrate if you want to! To celebrate his hard work, Harrison hits a special gong in the playroom. Contact Us! http://www.chop.edu/service/oncology/proton-therapy/contactus.html Learn more about proton therapy at CHOP. CHOP Cancer Center resources. http://www.chop.edu/service/oncology/proton-therapy/ http://cancer.chop.edu/familyresources Do you have questions for us? Ask us anything! If you live far away your parents might decide to stay in Philadelphia while you get your treatment. Don't worry! There's lots to do in Philadelphia! Two weeks later you’ll return to start your treatment. Let’s watch Harrison go through a day of proton therapy. There are lots of big buildings around CHOP. Inside one of them is the Roberts Proton Therapy Center, where you’ll go for your radiation treatment. Only Harrison can be in the room when treatment starts. But his therapists can see him on their monitors and talk to him through a microphone. Phone: 215-615-5678 The purpose of proton therapy is to slow down and hopefully stop the growth of the sick cells. At the meeting, your medical team learns about where the sick cells are in your body. Then they’ll tell you how they’re going to rid of those cells with a special treatment plan. When Harrison’s name was called he walked back to the changing room with his Mom and got changed into a gown. Treatment sessions last a different amount of time for each kid. Your radiation therapist will let you know what to expect. The number of times you come to CHOP will also be different depending on what kinds of treatments the doctors have planned for you. During treatment Harrison listens to podcasts. You can listen to music, TV shows, or just fall asleep and let the invisible rays do their jobs.